Irish Fairy Tales

Tir na n'Og

Far away in the land of Tir na n'Og there lived a King. Every 2 years there was a race from the fort gates to the top of a steep hill. First to reach the top of the hilltop was made king. Three times he had won the race but now he was getting nervous.

One day he sent for the chief druid.

"I am worried that someone else will win the next race," said the King. "Then I would be king no longer."

"Don't worry," replied the druid,"you are easily the fastest runner. The only person who will ever take your crown is the man your daughter will marry."

"What?!" roared the King.

He thought of his only daughter, Niamh, who was so beauttiful that every man who saw her fell madly in love with her. It was only a matter of time before she married. The King was raging mad.

"She will never marry!" he roared. "You must cast a spell on her that will make her ugly and disgusting."

"I cannot do such a thing," answered the chief druid, " I have known Niamh since she was born."

"And so have I ," snarled the King, "But not even my own daughter will cause me to lose the crown!"

Then he snatched the druid's magic stick and with one touch his daughter's head became that of a pig's!

"Now," raged the king, "no one will ever marry you and I will rule forever."

Poor Niamh ran to her room screaming and sobbing. She couldn't believe what her father had done. What would become of her?

One morning the chief druid came to visit her.

"Oh Niamh!" he said, "if only I could undo the harm your father has done."

"Then help me please!" cried Niamh, "Surely you can do something!"

"Unfortunately there is not," the druid explained, " To break the spell you must marry a son of Fionn MacCumhail ( A/N: or Finn McCool)If you suceed then your pig's head will disapper and you will return to your former state."

"But who will marry someone who looks like I?" cried Niamh.

"I'm sorry, I can do nothing else." And with that the druid left.

All that day, Niamh thought of what the druid had said. At last she made up her mind and when darkness feel she put on a long coat and stole away on her wonderful white horse set for Ireland. Over the sea went the wonderful white horse, his hooves scarcely touching the water.

It did not take Niamh long to find Finn MacCumhail and his sons. The forest rang with their shouts and laughter. One of Fionn's sons was called Oisín and he was handsome, swift on his feet and fearless in battle but he was also kind and gentle. Niamh watched from a distance as he rescued a trapped fawn and decided he, out of all of Fionn's sons, this was the only one she will marry. But how could he love her when every woman in Ireland must be in love with him?

Niamh was desperate. Silently she followed Oisín everywhere, keeping in the shadows and never showing her face. One evening the Fianna(the nickname for Fionn and his sons as a group of warriors) were away and Oisín was left alone. He had soo much to carry that he could not carry it all and Niamh quickly darted from the trees.

"Let me help you." she said. The sinking sun then rested on her pig's head and she almost turned and ran.

However Oisín just said, "Thank you. I have too much to carry alone."

They walked a long way and Oisín taught her the name's of all the native flowers and birds. When at last they stopped the day was hot so Niamh took off her cloak and Oisín looked at her.